Silent antisiphon fixture



G. J. MORRIS SILENT ANTISIPHON FIXTURE March 31, 1942.

Filed Feb. 14; 1940 min-'2 LEVEL J Maze/5 INVENTOR 50965 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1942 1T 1 FITC 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to plumbing installations, and more particularly to the control of water from a source: of supply to various fixtures by means preventing back-siphoning of water with the attending. danger of contaminating fresh water in the system, and enabling water to be delivered in comparative silence to flush tanks of toilets.

An object of this invention is to provide; means of extremely simple construction eliminating moving parts; by which back-siphoning of water from. a fixture intothe fresh water supply of the system will be positively prevented; and which, in its association with a ball cock, controls the flow of water into the tank in a manner to eliminate objectionable water noises.

With this and other objectsin View, the invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional,relationships ofv elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view illustrating the invention installed in a flush tank;-

Figure 2'is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines -33 and i -4 of Figure 2,- and looking in the directions of the respective arrows.-

In its present embodiment, the invention comprises a ball cock C for a flush tank T, and is composed of a body It] having a cylindrical bore H opening at one end intoa chamber l2 having a lateral outlet l3 and an axial inlet M defined by the annular seat E5 of a cap it threaded at I! into one end of the body.

The cap I6, forms part of an elbow fitting l8 into which is screwed an inlet pipe [9 extending through a suitably sealed opening in the, bottom wall of the tank 'I and connected to a source of watersupply under pressure, such as is available for domestic purposes. The pipe I8 rigidly supports the body In in ahorizontal position above the highest water level in the tank 'I' and with a lateral extension l2a of the chamber l2 which is provided with the outlet l3, disposed above the chamber, for a purpose to be later described.

Co-acting with theseat I5 is a cylindrical valve plunger 20 slidably mounted in the bore H and provided at its inner end with a sealing washer 2-! adapted to engage the seat It to seal the inlet I4. The plunger 20 is also provided with to the bore 5 l.

a; peripheral sealing ring 2.2;.- to, preventleakage of water between the plunger andthe body-10;

An actuating mechanism. for theplunger 20 comprises an L-shapedlever 23, one end of which is pivotally mounted at 24 on a bifurcatedarm 25'. depending from the body It); From theother end of the lever 28 extends a; fl oatrod 26- tothe free end of which is fixed the usual float (not shown).

Intermediate its ends there, is pivoted at 21 to, the lever 23, one end of; a pair of links 28, the other, end of which is pivotallyconnected at 2:9;v to one end-of alever-tfl-pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at- Sl onthe arrn- 25- so as to extend freely through thebi-furcated portion thereof.

The other end of the lever 38 extends; freely through a diametric slot 32in an extension; 33 on the plunger 20, and is provided with a cam surface (it adapted to co-aet-with arr-abutment 35. formed by the-outer endw-allof the slot'32 to effect opening movement of the; plunger sube stantially axially and rectilinearlywith respect tothe bore H. Said other end of thelev-er is also provided with a threaded bore in'which is threaded for adjustment a screw 36;- having a conical end 3-! seating freely in a conical socket 38-.formcd in the outer end of the plunger incoaxial relationship thereto, andco-acting with the plunger to efiect closing movement thereof: substantially axially and reotilinearly with respect A stop projection 39 on the arm 25- co acts with the lever to limit the opening, movement of. the plunger 20, and hence the lowered position of the float, irrespective of emptying of the tank T.

The upper end of a filling tube Ml is conneoted by an elbow fitting M.- tooneendofa reducing coupling 4.2, the other end of which is. threaded into the outlet 13 so as to rigidly support the tube 49. to depend vertically in the-tank wit-h'the lower 'end of the tube spaced a short distance from the, tank bottom.

At a point considerably above the water level inthe tank T, thewall: of, the tube. 40 1s provided at two diametrically opposedpoints; with slots- M; to provide an air gap or vacuum breaker at this location in the tube. Fixed in the tube at approximately the upper end. of theslots 43 is. a water confining and directing element. E in the form of a rectangular-strip. of relatively thin gage metal corrugated tran$versely andbent into circular form, to snugly fit into the tube Ml, for co-actiontherewith in defininga number of parallel and axially extending. water passages. 44in the tube which function to confine the Water against spreading when traversing the slots 43, so that the water will be maintained in a solid column at this point and will be prevented from discharging through the slots, as well as picking up air with the attending objectionable noise.

In the use of the invention in a flush tank or similar installation in which water noises are to be avoided as much as possible, a second element E identical to the element E is fixed in the tube 40 at approximately the lower end of the slots 43 as an aid in further reducing water noises. However, this second element has a tendency to create a slight back pressure with the possible spilling of a small quantity of water through the slots 43, and in order to provide for this contingency, a sleeve 45 is fitted tightly on the tube 40 and has an upper flaring portion 45a surrounding the lower portions of the slots 43 so as to act as a collector for any water which might discharge through the slots, and to divert such water back into the tube and/or through ports 45b in said flaring portion 45a so that excess water will fiow down the outside of the tube.

At a location just above the slots 43, a baffle member 46 of inverted cup shape is fixed on the tube, so that in the event that water should be delivered to the tube at a pressure in excess of a predetermined maximum pressure, and strikes the element E With sufiicient force to be deflected upwardly, the water will impinge against the bafile member so as to be prevented from striking the top of the tank and possibly leaking therefrom.

To muiile the noise of water issuing from the bottom of the tube 40, a third element E2 also identical in construction to the element E, can be installed in the tube as shown.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

With the invention installed in a plumbing system, it will be clear that should the float controlled valve plunger 20 fall to seal the inlet l4 when the tank T has been filled to the highest level possible as determined by an overflow tube (not shown), and that should a suction be created in the water supply line at such time, the vacuum breaker provided by the slots 43 will prevent the siphoning of water from the tank, and instead will merely suck air, thus positively preventing contamination or pollution of fresh water in the supply line all without the necessity for any moving parts and yet preventing objectionable noises at the slots 43 during the filling operation, by the functioning of the element E in maintaining a solid water column in the tube at the slots.

Furthermore, it will be noted that by virtue of the horizontal position of the body In and the lateral extension In of the chamber l2 to the outlet l3 being disposed above the noise creating restriction between the seat and the plunger which is intensified during the final closing movement of the plunger, a body of water fills the chamber and lateral extension thereof at all times during the filling operation, so as to constantly submerge the seat l5 and co-acting end of the plunger 20, thus effectively mufliing this objectionable water noise.

It will also be noted that by the provision of the motion transmitting screw 36 and conical socket 31, the arcuate motion of the lever 30 in tending to tilt the plunger 20 is compensated for, so that the lever motion is resolved into a substantially rectilinear motion at the plunger.

This eifect is also obtained during opening movement of the plunger by the cam 34 which co-acts with the abutment 35 in wiping across the latter laterally of the plunger axis during arcuate motion of the lever, thus tending to apply force to the plunger parallel to its axis, irrespective of the arcuate motion of the lever.

The tendency to tilt or rock the plunger 20 in its bore H is thus negligible, so that excessive wear on the plunger and/or the bore II as well as premature failure of the sealing gasket 22 are prevented. Furthermore, the parallel relationship which is maintained between the face of the washer 2| and the annular seat I5 by virtue of the rectilinear movement imparted to the plunger 20 obviates such water noises at the inlet l4 as would occur in the event that the washer was inclined with respect to the seat 15 sulficiently to cause considerable more restriction to the fiow of water past one portion of the seat than another during final closing movement of the plunger.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fiush tank ball cock having a water inlet from a source of pressure supply and water outlet, a vertically disposed filling tube connected to the outlet; means defining an opening in the tube adapted to be positioned above the high water level in a tank, through which air will be drawn into the tube should back-siphoning occur through the ball cock; two means respectively defining a plurality of water passages in the tube parallel to its axis and in juxtaposition to the top and bottom of the opening, the top one of said two means operating to confine the water in the tube against; discharging through said opening, and the bottom one of said two means aiding the first one thereof in obviating air noises at the opening; and means co-acting with the opening for collecting and returning to the tube any water which discharges through the opening upon striking the bottom one of said two means.

2. In a flush tank ball cock having a water inlet from a source of pressure supply and a water outlet, a vertically disposed filling tube connected to the outlet; means defining an opening in the tube adapted to be positioned above the high water level in a tank, through which air will be drawn into the tube should back-siphoning occur through the ball cock; two means respectively defining a plurality of water passages in the tub parallel to its axis and in juxtaposition to the top and bottom of the opening, the top one of said means operating to confine the water in the tube against discharging through said opening, and the bottom one of said two means aiding the first one thereof in obviating air noises at the opening; and means defining an annular well around th tube opposite the opening, for collecting and returning to the tube, water which might discharge through the opening upon striking the bottom one of said two means.

3. In a flush tank ball cock having a water inlet from -a source of pressure supply and a water outlet, a vertically disposed filling tube connected to the outlet; means defining an opening in the tube adapted to be positioned above the high water level in a tank, through which air will be drawn into the tube should backsiphoning occur through the ball cock; two means respectively defining a plurality of water passages in the tube parallel to its axis and in juxtaposition to the top and bottom of the opening, the top one of said two means operating to confine the water in the tube against discharging through said opening, and the bottom one of said two means aiding the first one thereof in obviating air noises at th opening; means co-acting with the opening for collecting and returning to the tube any water which discharges through the opening upon striking the bottom one of said two means; and a baflle member surrounding the tube above the opening, against which will impinge water deflected upwardly upon striking the second one of said two means as'a. result of the water being delivered to the tube at a pressure in excess of a predetermined maximum pressure.

4. In a flush tank ball cock having a water inlet from a source of pressure supply and a water outlet, a vertically disposed filling tube connected to the outlet; means defining an opening in the tube adapted to be positioned above the high water level in a tank, through which air will be drawn into the tube should backsiphoning occur through the ball cock; two means respectively defining a plurality of water passages in the tube parallel to its axis and in juxtaposition to the top and bottom of the opening, the top one of said means operating to confine the water in the tube against discharging through said opening, and the bottom one of said two means aiding the first one thereof in obviating air noises at the opening; and means defining an annular wall around the tube opposite the opening, for collecting water which might discharge through the opening upon impinging against the lower one of said two means; the last means having ports through which collected water can drain to flow down the outside of the tube.

GEORGE J. MORRIS. 

